Fairfax Man Brutally Beaten - Sister Offers $5,000 Reward

[Henry]

(The following story appeared in today's St. Albans Messenger)

Fairfax man brutally beaten; sister offers $5,000 reward
By LEON THOMPSON
Messenger Staff Writer

FAIRFAX — The family of a Fairfax man is asking for the public's help in discovering who severely beat him Tuesday evening and left him for dead.

Andy Naylor, 36, is awaiting surgery in Fletcher Alien Health Care today with multiple face and skull fractures, according to his sister Rebecca, who spoke to the Messenger via telephone this morning.

"My brother's face is disfigured," she said.

Rebecca said Andy Naylor was checking his mail in his truck at the end of his driveway when a group of men pulled up, smashed his window and pummeled his head and face.
Naylor   remained   unconscious   for some time before he came to and sought help.

Emergency workers rushed him to the Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans and then to Fletcher Allen, where he is in intensive care, said his sister.

Trauma doctors have told the Naylors that Andy's assailants likely beat him with a hammer or baseball bat, not their hands, Rebecca said.

"They left him there to die," Rebecca said. "Andy didn't see anyone, but he did hear voices."
Asked about a possible motive, Rebecca said her family has strong speculation about who beat Andy, because he recently served as a drug informant for police.

"We believe it has to do with that," Rebecca said.

Andy Naylor lives with his girlfriend, Kim, Rebecca said. He is a self-employed handyman.
Rebecca Naylor lives just outside of Boston, Mass., and is not in Vermont with her brother, because she is 36 weeks pregnant. She has personally offered a $5,000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Andy's attackers.

"I want something to be done," she said. •

Reached by telephone this morning, Vermont State Police Lt. Tom Hango, commander of the St. Albans barracks, said the case is under investigation. He declined comment until he could gather more information.

[Stand Alone Defense]

WOW really in the small town of Fairfax this is really sad!!! Hope Andy pulls out of this ok.  Maybe the drug dealing going on in Fairfax will get a little more attention now!!!

[Mummy]

My heart goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Naylor for they are wonderful folks.  At this hour of their life they should NOT have to be dealing with news like this.   I don't know Andy but I do know James and he too is a great person.  Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. 

[slpott]

The same behavior that happens other places will happen here because we do not do anything about it. I have been told numerous times about the "houses" since I moved here and nothing is ever done. If we want it to happen here then just let things go as they are, if not, time to do something. Times are a changing and we may want to have a police officer in town. I know my husband would love to be the new Sherrif in town. He would even sleep outside in cold temps to find these people. We can not turn a cheek anylonger. I grew up in a small drug town and the results are awful. I know more people from there dead than alive. People may not want to pay the taxes for a police officer but you can not put a price tag on paranoia and crimes that come from it. I guess it is like the theory of "Terrorists". We can fight them on their own ground to keep them away from hurting us or we can let them come over and do nothing and see what happens. The end result in both cases is "they are coming". I am sick to my stomach thinking about Andy and his family. My heart goes to them all.

[cedarman]

While slpott presents a good arguement for adding an additional expense to the town budget, just having a cop here in town isn't going to solve the problem (especially one "sleeping outside in cold temps to find (the bad guys)").   We need to continue to build person to person community bonds whenever and where ever possible.  We need to help each other and report suspicious activity.  I've heard some stories on here of people doing just that.  Most times it turns out to be nothing, but it is better to report things and have it turn out to be nothing than to let it go and it turn out to be something, possibly something BIG.
I think all too often, people know something is going on, but they don't do or say anything about it.  OR, they try to inform authorities, and they feel like they are wasting their time because the cops can't do anything about it without evidence. 
It is a fine line we all walk between wanting to make our communities safer, and also protecting our Rights.  Andy definately didn't deserve anything like this, and I hope someone saw something and will report it.  Unfortunately, unless someone was an eye witness and is willing to step forward after the fact, there may be little the cops can do. 

Maybe "justice" will be served in a less official manner.

[slpott]

I was referring to the bike path benches and things being thrown in the river at night. He was willing to sit in the woods at night to catch who was doing it. That is what I meant by that statement. We can't always catch them if we don't look for them. I personally would be afraid to get involved or put myself in that situation but there are people like him that feel strongly about protecting American and its people whether it be at home or afar.

[Mummy]

I am not for more police!

As far as benches going into the river, we knew that was going to happen before the park was created and most likely it is middle/high school kids.  If this was a drug hit, it is out of the hands of little Fairfax.  Lets wait to see what the investigates reveals.   I believe in the Vermont State Troopers, they usually get to the bottom of most things.  Lets just wait this one out a little bit to see what develops.

[mkr]

Thoughts and prayers to Andy, Kim, and family.  Unfortunately, doing the right thing for the police, most likely put himself as a target.

[mirjo]

As far as benches going into the river, we knew that was going to happen before the park was created and most likely it is middle/high school kids.

Really Mummy? So we shouldn't bother with a concession stand/restrooms etc because they too will be trashed by adolescent hoodlums and this is OK?

I think this is the kind of apathetic attitude that is being referred to here if I'm not mistaken. What is happening in the park is not OK, what has been happening at people's homes is not OK and what happened to Andy Naylor is DEFINITELY not OK.

If the "kids" are allowed to get away with this stuff unchecked just because it's 'expected,' then what? If their parents can't keep them in line (and the parents are probably decent people...) then who is going to?

I don't believe in starting trouble; however, I also don't believe in sitting back and taking crap from others who think they can do whatever they want, just because they have been allowed to "get away with it."

There is a HUGE drug problem in St. Albans, which is right next door. Dealers from larger areas have found their way up here because it's an easy mark...law enforcement coverage is scant compared to towns in Chittenden County. St. Albans City, that is JUST THE CITY is the only area with 24hr coverage. The city of St. Albans is not very big and does not include the outer lying town, which is covered by the sheriff and the last I knew the Franklin County Sheriff's Dept didn't have a contract with St. Albans Town to cover 24hrs, but that may have changed.

The State Police  do not patrol 24hrs either. I think their last shift ends at midnight or 2am. We certainly have a robbery/vandalism problem and it appears a looming drug problem (perhaps the reason for the robberies?)

Given what has happened to Mr. Naylor, it seems it's only a matter of time before things start moving here in a bad way. It's sad to see, but I think it's time to do something...a combination of things, neighborhood watch groups (although difficult in some areas with large lots/trees), active/trained town constables, more outside police presence in town...any other ideas that people can come up with.

Would the park get ruined if the kids who are doing the damage thought there would be unpleasant consequences for their actions? What makes a kid so bored as to ruin a park bench/paint road signs and bridges?Vandalize other people's private property?

I've been fortunate, but others have not. There is no accountability anymore it seems. Perhaps the best things for these kids would be to be caught and be made accountable for their actions somehow...punishment  to fit the crime and all that.

[Henry]

Andy Naylor's sister had the following letter in tonight's St. Albans Messenger:

$5,000 for info on assault
Tuesday night, Andy Naylor of Fairfax, VT was beaten in the face and head and left to die. He was checking his mail, when someone (more than one person) pulled up broke his window and started beating him in the head and face. He was rushed to St.. Albans hospital and then transferred to Fletcher Alien, where he is in intensive care awaiting surgery. Trauma doctors say this was not a job of "hands" but rather a hammer or baseball bat. Police have no leads because Andy didn't see anyone but did hear voices. So pretty much the Police they are saying they can't do anything. I am contacting the VT Attorney General and US District Attorney. Justice needs to be done! I am offering a $5,000 cash award for anyone with anyone information that leads to an arrest and conviction. I can be contacted on my cell phone at 239-297-3118.
Rebecca Naylor

[slpott]

I sure would like to see it happen BEFORE things get out of hand rather than AFTER they already are out of hand. That is why St. Albans has such a bad problem. They thought it might go away and look what happened. We should take pride as we are one of the cleanest town and with any luck we can keep it that way.

[David Shea]

Regarding police coverage.

A stipulation should be written into any future contract for law enforcement.

All cruisers must be outfitted with GPS tracking hardware.  Hardware must be powered on during the hours that services are contracted with Fairfax Town.  Hardware and will be provided by Fairfax.  GPS data must be downloaded bi monthly at the town offices to authenticate routes and hours that officers are on patrol in town.  Data download is contingent upon monthly payment for services.

Hardware and software like this are available.  Casella Waste Management used a system like this to design routes and curb overtime.

I do not have a problem paying for a service as long as I know what I am getting.  A recurring theme, here on VTGRANDPA,  regarding our current law enforcement contract is that the town does not get adequate coverage beyond the village.  A portable GPS system installed in the on duty cruiser, and data reviewed by the select board, would take the mystery out where our law enforcement dollars are being spent.  A system like this could also provide real data regarding response time for auto accidents, fires, emergencies at the school etc.

Thats my opinion...

[vtoutdoorguymb]

One problem with the GPS tracking would be that (I assume) it would have to be public record. Do you really want everyone and their uncle being able to review the entire patrol that law enforcement does? It would not take much time or effort for someone with bad intentions to find times and places where they know the police won't be...

[David Shea]

My first thought about vtoutdoorguy's comment would be that I hope that the police patrols are variable.  If they patrol the same places at the same time every week this does not create an element of surprise.  To answer your question regarding system capabilities read below.

Good question regarding potential criminals being able to see where the police are in " real time".  The system that I am referring to does not provide instant positioning.  What it does do is log all vehicle positions, routes, speeds, time stopped, frequency of time of over a thresh hold speed limit, time that a vehicle sits in one spot, plus many more features.

The data is archived in the unit that is mounted in the vehicle and needs to be downloaded to the base station that is connected to software on a standard desktop computer.  Data can be downloaded wireless or it can be done by removing the unit and connecting it to the base unit.  This data can then be reviewed at a later time to be evaluated, in this case the selectboard.  This type of system would also give us a better idea of how much time is spent in the Fairfax vs administration time in the office.

The short answer is the system I am referring to does not have real time reporting, but instead passive reporting.  A big benefit to this system is the monthly billing charges do not apply.  Buy the equipment and use it without service fees.

This type of system could also be used to evaluate our bus routes, plow routes, use of town vehicles, and many other features would provide additional benefits.

[celts79]

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